Facezam can identify people by matching a photo of them with their Facebook profile. All users have to do is take a picture of someone on the street and run it through the app, which will tell them who it thinks the person in the photo is.

“Facezam could be the end of our anonymous societies,” said Jack Kenyon, founder of Facezam. “Users will be able to identify anyone within a matter of seconds, which means privacy will no longer exist in public society.”

Facezam scans billions of Facebook profile images a second, which it accesses through a database for developers, until it finds a match. It claims to be able to link most photos with a profile on the social network within 10 seconds.

The app, which will launch on iOS on March 21, has been tested on more than 10,000 images to date with a 70 per cent accuracy.

Facebook can delay the launch, which said Facezam violates its privacy policies.

“This activity violates our terms and we’re reaching out to the developer to ensure they bring their app into compliance,” said Facebook.

Facebook reviews apps that use its data before they go live to check they adhere to its policies. Apps that collect users’ data or use automated technology to scan Facebook are forbidden from launching without permission from the social network.

Facezam refuted that the app violates Facebook’s terms. “We’ve looked into this, and are confident the app won’t be violating Facebook’s terms,” said Kenyon.

The technology could help reduce crime by making everyone identifiable, Kenyon said, adding that the public implications of the app couldn’t be predicted. “There may be a mix of positives and negatives,” he said.

‘The end of anonymous society’

Unfortunately there is no way for the privacy conscious to remove themselves from the app, which can use its identification software on anyone with a Facebook profile.

Its accuracy does however drop to 55 per cent when a person’s face is obscured in either the photo of them or in their Facebook profile image. Factors that affect its success include obscuring hair, sunglasses, a large hat or odd angle, Kenyon said.

The inspiration for Facezam comes from Shazam, the music lookup service that can tell users the name and artist of a song after hearing just a few bars. Facezam said its legal consultants weren’t concerned that the name infringed on Shazam’s copyright.

Facial recognition software is already used by internet giants such as Facebook and Google to group photos together and suggest who should be tagged in them. It is also used in some law enforcement databases and by companies such as Tesco to map customer demographics.

Hidden away in Denton County, Texas, is a private racetrack retreat for Toyota executives and VIPs.

The site of the Toyota executive retreat in Denton County includes a racetrack and buildings between Hilltop Road and FM1830 on the outskirts of Argyle.

If you blink, you might miss the street sign for the tree-lined country road south of Denton. The two-lane Hilltop Road leads you past mostly modest houses, small farms and rural businesses along the border of the town of Argyle. While tucked away among the trees and stock ponds, construction is underway on one of the most hush-hush developments in North Texas.

International auto giant Toyota is turning a patch of farmland into a multimillion-dollar, ranch-style executive retreat for its top local executives and visiting VIPs.

The spread covering more than 75 acres — which extends all the way to FM1830 — includes a motor track, horse stables, guest houses and barns. >> Continue Reading <<

Burger robot can grill a perfect patty, but it doesn’t provide service with a smile.

The next time you place an order at a fast food joint, you could see a robot behind the counter. Flippy is an AI-driven kitchen assistant that can flip burgers and place them on buns, and it debuted today at a CaliBurger restaurant in Pasadena, California.

Flippy was developed by Miso Robotics and CaliBurger’s owner, Cali Group. It uses cameras, sensors and deep learning software to locate ingredients in a kitchen without needing to reconfigure existing equipment. Not only does it position and flip the patties, it tracks their temperature and cooking time too. When the burgers are done, it alerts a human cook, who applies the cheese and other toppings.

“Much like self-driving vehicles, our system continuously learns from its experiences to improve over time,” said David Zito, CEO of Miso Robotics, in a statement. Eventually, Zito said Flippy can be trained to help with other kitchen tasks, like frying chicken, cutting vegetables or plating.

Self-ordering kiosks are already replacing workers at fast food chains like McDonald’s and Wendys. But, Miso Robotics said Flippy is designed to work alongside human staff. Once its “probation” ends in Pasadena, it will roll out to more than 50 CaliBurger locations over the next two years. When that happens, some people could be reassigned to the dining room to engage more with customers, while others will be trained to operate their new assistant.

“Tasting food and creating recipes will always be the purview of a chef,” Zito recently told TechCrunch. “And restaurants are gathering places where we go to interact with each other. Humans will always play a very critical role in the hospitality side of the business given the social aspects of food. We just don’t know what the new roles will be yet in the industry.”

Facebook has begun using artificial intelligence to identify members that may be at risk of killing themselves.

Facebook said its algorithms would flag messages expressing suicidal thoughts

The social network has developed algorithms that spot warning signs in users’ posts and the comments their friends leave in response.

After confirmation by Facebook’s human review team, the company contacts those thought to be at risk of self-harm to suggest ways they can seek help.

A suicide helpline chief said the move was “not just helpful but critical”.

The tool is being tested only in the US at present.

It marks the first use of AI technology to review messages on the network since founder Mark Zuckerberg announced last month that he also hoped to use algorithms to identify posts by terrorists, among other concerning content.

Facebook also announced new ways to tackle suicidal behaviour on its Facebook Live broadcast tool and has partnered with several US mental health organisations to let vulnerable users contact them via its Messenger platform. >> Continue Reading <<

The Hubsan X4 H107C is the cheapest price for a decent quality beginners camera drone. Gain power, 720p video for only $39

$38.99 ** FREE SHIPPING **

* TX residents will have an 8.25% sales tax added

H107C

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Overview

2.0 Mega Pixel Camera Shoot in 720P video (up to 1280 x 720) at 30 frames per second, so you can create incredible videos, making it perfect for everything from the ultimate heart racing videos to landscape shots.

Dual Control ModesThe transmitter (TX) supports both Mode 1 and Mode 2 stick configurations. Mode 2 is typically preferred in the U.S. as many argue it more closely simulates actual aircraft controls, however some international users may be more accustomed to Mode 1.

Highlights

Palm-Sized, Remote-Controlled Quadcopter

4-Channel, 2.4 GHz Transmitter (TX)

Transmitter Supports Mode 1 and Mode 2

Integrated 2MP HD Video Camera

Camera Records Video to microSD Card

Up to 7 Minutes Flying Time

6-Axis Gimbal w/ Adjustable Sensitivity

Expert and Normal Flight Modes

Performs Acrobatic Flips & Barrel Rolls

USB Battery Charging Takes 40 Minutes

What’s In The Box?

1 x Hubsan H107C RC Quadcopter

1 x 2.4GHz Remote Controller

1 x 3.7V 380mAh LiPo Battery

1 x USB Charging Cable

1 x Instruction Manual

8 x Propeller Blades

Manufacturer
Information

Part NumberMfr. Part Number: 00000000000000
UPC No.: 00000000000000

WarrantyHubsan warrants that each Hubsan product that you purchase is free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use during the 6 month warranty period. The warranty period for a Hubsan product starts upon the receipt of product or as may be otherwise specified by Hubsan.

If the product does not function as warranted during the warranty period, you may obtain after-sales service by contacting Hubsan directly.

After-sales service may not be available in all regions and may differ from region to region. Additional charges may apply outside Hubsan’s normal service areas. Please contact Hubsan for information specific to your location.

After a multi-month, politically charged investigation, German intelligence agencies could find no good evidence of Moscow-directed cyber-attacks or a disinformation campaign aimed at subverting the democratic process in Germany. Undaunted, Chancellor Angela Merkel has commissioned a new investigation.

Germany’s foreign intelligence service

Last year, Berlin’s two main intelligence agencies, the BND and BfV (counterparts of the CIA and FBI) launched a joint investigation to substantiate allegations that Russia was meddling in German political affairs and attempting to shape the outcome of Germany’s elections next September.

Like the vast majority of Americans malnourished on “mainstream media,” most Germans have been led to believe that, by hacking and “propaganda,” the Kremlin interfered in the recent U.S. election and helped Donald Trump become president.

German intelligence agencies rarely bite the hand that feeds them and realize that the most bountiful part of the trough is at the CIA station in Berlin with ultimate guidance coming from CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. But this time, in an unusual departure from past practice, analysts at the BND and BfV decided to act like responsible adults.

Whereas former CIA Director John Brennan prevailed on his analysts to resort to anemic, evidence-light reasoning “assessing” that Russia tried to tip the U.S. election to Donald Trump, Berlin’s intelligence agencies found the evidence lacking and have now completed their investigation.

Better still, the conclusions have been reported in a mainstream German newspaper, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, apparently because a patriotic insider thought the German people should also know. >> Continue Reading <<

TECH billionaire Elon Musk believes artificial intelligence could be catastrophic for humanity who are set to become a cyborg race which will have to grapple with 15 per cent of the global work force being without a job.

The creative genius added a ‘universal income’ would have to be introduced for the global population because robots will do everything.

Tech billionaire Elon Musk says artificial intelligence could be the end of the human race.

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai, the entrepreneur also told the 4000 strong conference he saw spaceflights to the far reaches of the solar system being as common as a plane ride in 50 years.

And self-driven cars were just 10 years away from usurping human driven vehicles completely.

The business magnate, who was being interviewed by Mohammad Abdulla Alergawi, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and the Future for the UAE, told the slightly perplexed crowd: “One of the most troubling questions is artificial intelligence. I don’t mean narrow A.I – deep artificial intelligence, where you can have AI which is much smarter than the smartest human on earth. This is a dangerous situation.”

He also warned world governments: “Pay close attention to the development of artificial intelligence.

“Make sure researchers don’t get carried away – scientists get so engrossed in their work they don’t realise what they are doing.”

When asked if he thought A.I was a good or a bad thing Musk said: “I think it is both.

“One way to think of it is imagine you were very confident we were going to be visited by super intelligent aliens in 10 years or 20 years at the most.

“Digital superintelligence will be like an alien.”

He then joked: “It seems probable. But this is one of the great questions in physics and philosophy – where are the aliens?

“Maybe they are among us I don’t know. Some people think I am an alien. Not true. “Of course I would say that though wouldn’t I?”